Many people assume that sex toys are a recent invention and were invented in Asian. It is true that many sex aids today are made in Asia but the history of the dildo, the vibrator actually started in the west, and they have been used as sexual aids for more than 1,000 years. The History of the Dildo: The first use of a dildo is not completely clear although it is recorded that single or lonely women in Ancient Greece used them. Unlike modern dildo’s they were made of wood or leather and needed plenty of olive oil for comfortable use. Dildos have always had a sexual purpose.
The Vibrator’s Humble Beginning: For hundreds of years it was believed that many ‘conditions’ women suffered from a disease called ‘Hysteria’ and that the uterus was complaining of neglect. Anything from tiredness, headaches, absent-mindedness, melancholia and insomnia, irregular breathing, and confusion was put down to ‘Hysteria’. In fact, any type of behavior by women that confused men were put down to hysteria. It was decided – by men – that ‘Hysteria’ was caused by sexual frustration.
It seemed clear that a women’s mental or emotional distress was an indication of a need for sexual release. Hysteria, it seems was a prevalent disease, second only to ‘fevers’ – or the classic cold. It was also classed as a chronic disease that could not be cured. The Vibrator Was About To Be Born. A ‘breakthrough’ for the poor weary doctors came in 1869 when the steam powered massage and vibratory apparatus for treatment of female disorders was patented. This apparatus was intended for supervised use only in case of over indulgence. It was indeed a brilliant invention, saving doctors much time, therefore allowing them to see more patients.
Many doctors had difficulty in treating patients using their own fingers. They could start to perform in minutes, tasks that before could have taken up to an hour. A 17th century doctor was to complain how tiring and time consuming the ‘massage therapy’ was for the doctor. Other strange techniques were also sometimes used, such as air powered and gasoline powered vibrating tables, swinging chairs, jolting chairs and many others.
What does seem strange now, is that it was deemed normal for women during Victorian times to visit their doctor in order to obtain the sexual pleasure and relief they were not getting at home. The Modern Vibrator Within 20 years of the steam-powered vibrator being patented, a more portable battery vibrator was available, and by the turn of the 20th century – 20 years after the first electromechanical vibrator there were at least two-dozen different types of vibrators available to the medical profession. It was not long before certain businesspersons spotted the potential of producing vibrators and selling them directly to women. They were marketed as household appliances – although never as sexual massagers. They were advertised in respectable periodicals.
Advertisements spoke of ‘health, vigor and beauty” promoting the vibrator as an aid to health. Men were encouraged to give their wives a massager as a gift. In fact, the vibrator (massager) was only the fifth electrical household appliance behind the kettle, toaster, sewing machine and fan. The idea of hysteria as a disease was debunked in the 1950’s. Today, women everywhere see their vibrator as part of their sexual independence and freedom. SexToys now come in all shapes, sizes are mostly quiet and discreet, and many women use them regularly.
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